pervasive

Language: en

🇺🇸 /pɜrˈveɪsɪv/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Spreading widely throughout an area, group, or system; present or felt in every part of something.; Having the quality of permeating or spreading through every part of something; thoroughly penetrating.; In computing, referring to technology that is integrated into everyday objects and environments, often operating invisibly (pervasive computing).; In medicine, describing a condition or influence that extends throughout the entire body or a major organ system.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more pervasive Superlative: most pervasive

Collocations

pervasive influencepervasive problempervasive sense ofpervasive throughoutpervasive issuepervasive effect

Derivatives

pervasivelypervasivenesspervadepervasion

Synonyms

prevalentwidespreadubiquitousomnipresentrifepermeating

Antonyms

rarescarcelimited

Commonly confused

perverse
EN: 'Perverse' means deliberately contrary or unreasonable; 'pervasive' means spreading widely throughout.
prevalent
EN: 'Prevalent' emphasizes commonness at a given time; 'pervasive' emphasizes thorough penetration into every part.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'pervasive' with 'perverse' or 'pervert' — they share a Latin root (pervertere) but have entirely different modern meanings.

💬 Examples

  1. Corruption was pervasive throughout the government institutions.

  2. The pervasive smell of smoke lingered in the building for days after the fire.

  3. Pervasive computing aims to embed computational capabilities into the physical environment seamlessly.

  4. The patient exhibited pervasive developmental disorder affecting multiple areas of functioning.